Tottenham v Juventus Preview, Stats and Betting Tips, Wednesday 7th March 2018, Wembley Stadium, Kick off: 19:45
The Tottenham fans who made the trip to Turin for their first leg match against Juventus must have wondered why they bothered after a horrible opening 10 minutes. The hosts, who are much more experienced in the Champions League’s latter stages, raced to a 2-0 lead and it looked as though Spurs would crumble under the pressure.
But, once again, Mauricio Pochettino’s men showed the world just how far they’ve come by recovering to claim a 2-2 draw. Those two away goals put Tottenham in a great position to qualify for the quarter final ahead of Wednesday’s second leg at Wembley Stadium.
Read on as we take a closer look at this game or why not check out our World Cup offer hub for the lowdown on Russia 2018?
Tottenham v Juventus Head to Head Record
- Juventus 2-2 Tottenham – 13th February 2017, Champions League
- Tottenham 2-0 Juventus – 5th August 2017, Friendly Match
Tottenham v Juventus Preview
When Mauricio Pochettino took over at Tottenham, few could have predicted the impact he would have on the club. The North Londoners used to choke so often that they created their own adjective. You couldn’t describe this current crop of players as ‘Spursy’ but having put the ground work in it’s now time for them to take that extra step and start winning silverware.
Tottenham aren’t going to win the Premier League and they’ve had a couple of very close calls in the FA Cup but there’s no reason why they can’t seriously challenge for the Champions League. As well as that excellent comeback against Juventus, Pochettino’s men beat Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the group stage and believe they are a match for any team in Europe.
Juventus are similarly confident about their chances of glory in the biggest club tournament of all. The Serie A side have become used to dominating domestically but have had to fight hard for their reputation as one of Europe’s premier teams. Two Champions League finals in three years has certainly done a lot for Juve’s reputation and those experiences have given the team a great deal to draw on.
Max Allegri has lead his team to impressive results in some of the biggest stadiums in Europe and rather than being fearful of a trip to Wembley, he and his players will embrace the opportunity. If they attack Wednesday’s game with the same sort of gusto with which they started the first leg, we should have a cracker on our hands. If, however, they retreat into their shells as per their second half performance in Turin, Tottenham will surely book their place in the quarter finals.
Relevant Stats, Injuries and Suspensions
Winning Serie A has almost become habitual for Juventus. They’ve won the scudetto six times on the spin but just cannot overtake Napoli at the top of the table despite going through their best extended run of form of the season.
Tottenham are in the midst of a similarly impressive unbeaten run and despite talk of a Wembley jinx, Spurs have one of the strongest home records of any Premier League team. With over two goals scored on average per home game, you can be sure that Spurs will challenge the experienced Gianluigi Buffon in the Juventus goal.
Juve’s defence averages well under one goal conceded per game this season despite the sale of Leonardo Bonucci. Medhi Benatia could continue in the heart of the Juve defence but it’s the ankle injury to Gonzalo Higuain that is giving the Juventus coaching staff most to worry about.
Tottenham are close to a clean bill of health for the second leg but they will be without Serge Aurier at right back due to suspension. Kieran Trippier is set to deputise for the Frenchman despite only making two Champions League appearances so far this campaign.
Tottenham v Juventus Tips
The two away goals that Tottenham scored at the Juventus Stadium makes them the odds on favourites to qualify across the board. The best price you can get on Pochettino’s side booking their place in the next round is the 4/11 that Betfair are quoting but it may pay to back the home side to win Wednesday’s match at 21/20 with Coral.
When it comes to winning the Premier League, Tottenham will continue to fall short unless they improve their squad depth. When it comes to their strongest XI though they are capable of beating the very best in Europe. Juventus’ need to score should ensure an entertaining encounter (you can back over 2.5 goals at 10/11 with BetVictor) but it opens them up to Spurs’ deadly counterattacks.
Tottenham’s performance in Turin went down very well with the Italian press but it was their star man, Harry Kane, who won most of the plaudits. The England striker is operating at the very top level and looks a good bet to score the game’s first goal at 31/10 with BetVictor.
If you do fancy a bet on this massive clash, why not check out our top 10 free bets and grab a little free goodness?